New Year's Resolutions Part 2

So, after my blog yesterday I came across a quote that confirmed my convictions about reading through the Bible this year. It is by J.I. Packer and says, "Any Christian worth his salt ought to read the Bible from cover-to-cover every year."

13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

- Matthew 5:13-14

Packer poses a great question we all need to answer, are we worth are salt? Or you could go on to ask, How bright is your light? Recently God has just been teaching me the power and importance of Scripture. We need to read, know, and understand God's Word. I will leave you with this passage from the book "Primal":

"One of the common complaints people make when leaving a church is this: "I'm not being fed." As a preacher, I make it my goal to nourish our congregation via a well-rounded diet of sermons. And I try to preach every sermon like it's my last. But let me push back a little. My kids learned to feed themselves when they were toddlers. If you're not being fed, that's your fault. I'm afraid we've unintentionally fostered a subtle form of spiritual codependency in our churches. It is easy to let others take responsibility for what should be our responsibility. So we let our pastors study the Bible for us."

New Year's Resolutions

I have never been a big fan of New Year's Resolutions. I guess my thought would be, "why wait till January 1st to start doing something, do it now!" However, I always think a new year allows us to reflect on the past year and more forward to a new one. This year I felt compelled to make some "resolutions" or goals spiritually for 2010. I wanted to share them with you not only to challenge you to make some goals spiritually for yourself but also to keep myself accountable.

Goal #1: Read through the Bible in 2010. I have never committed to do this and completed it yet so this year I felt this is something I really need to do. The more of God's word I can implant on my heart the more ammunition I have to battle Satan. This year I want to challenge you to know the Word of God.

Goal #2: Read 15 books this year. I really am growing to love to read. I think Christian books are great in addition to the Bible. They help me understand people, culture, and share stories of others in ministry. I will probably be blogging a lot over this next year about the books I am reading and the truths God shows me through His Word.

The first book I am diving into for 2010 is called "Primal" by Mark Batterson. Mark is the pastor of National Community Church on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. I have really enjoyed one of his previous books "Wild Goose Chase." Here are some highlights so far:

• Many Christians know what they believe, but they don't know why they believe what they believe. Their faith is fragile because it has never been tested intellectually or experientially. When they encounter questions they cannot answer or experiences they cannot explain, it causes a crisis of faith.
• If Jesus said that loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength is the most important commandment, then doesn't it logically follow that we ought to spend an inordinate amount of our time and energy trying to understand it and obey it.?
• Minds often remain closed to the truth until hearts have been opened by compassion.

Bonded

I want you to think about a really rough point in your life, some obstacle, some hardship, some bump in the road that you had to overcome. Were you alone? Did you have anyone to walk with you through those times?

As I have been studying the book of 1 Thessalonians I am understanding that we are not meant to suffer alone. Shared suffering and hardships are much easier to bear than when you are on your own. So many people give up on God, relationships, people, and life because no one pleads with them not to give up. So today if that is you I want to challenge you not to give up. Read and understand the context of 1 Thessalonians. Paul not only shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them but he was willing to share his own life and share in their suffering as well (2:8).

When we share our lives with one another and walk "through the fire" we are refined and grow stronger. Think about the Holocaust for example. In the midst of extreme suffering people were brought close together. Christians all over Germany and Europe bonded together to help people. Many people shared in the suffering of the Jews to help them.

We even see that in many areas in our own lives. Look at sports teams. When teams overcome the team grows stronger and their is unity among the group. As Christians we are a team. Living for Christ in a world that is totally opposed to the things of God is really hard. We have many failures and have many obstacles to overcome. We need to share our lives with one another and walk through the hardships and sufferings with people so that we may be strengthened and God may be glorified.

Left in a Manger

On Christmas Eve our church (Countryside Chapel) has a communion service. This year my dad who is an elder was asked to share 5-10 minutes before we took communion. My dad and I are very different when it comes to getting in front of people and talking. I love it and he gets very nervous. After getting the initial nerves out of the way he did an awesome job. It was actually one of the best 5 minute sermons I have ever heard (and I am not just saying that because it was my dad). I left convicted and challenged. Here are some thoughts that have been going on in my head the past few days.

You see, everyone knows "The reason for the season." Most people can tell you about Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, Wise Men, Shepherds, and I could go on and on. The problem lies in the fact that many of us leave baby Jesus in the manger. And that is the question I guess I would pose to you. "Is Jesus still in the manger or have you made Him Lord of your life?" Don't get me wrong, the Christmas story is an incredible true story but it is only the beginning of an even bigger story. Jesus had to grow up, he had to die. He had to humble himself and come as a baby, grow up to be mocked, beaten, and hung on a cross to be exalted.

¹⁸I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, ²⁰which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, ²¹far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. - Ephesians 1:18-21

⁹Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. - Philippians 2:9-11

The birth of Christ was the start of a plan that God chose to show his unconditional love for us. When we live life for ourselves and not for the God of the universe we leave Jesus in the manger. We can recite the story, it is in our head but it is not in our heart. I want you to really think about this question, "What do I believe about Jesus Christ?" Really, what does your head AND your heart agree upon about the person of Jesus Christ? Do I believe he was born of a virgin? That he grew up being fully man and fully God? That he was put to death of a cross and three days later rose from the dead and paid the penalty of sin that we deserve?

As you read in the verses above Jesus has been given the name above every name. He doesn't need us, we need him. If we didn't need Jesus, God wouldn't have sent Him. My prayer is that your heart and mind would agree that Jesus is Lord. That you would examine your life and surrender yourself to Him and His will for you. Once you do, things will never be the same.

Titles

Do you like titles? I like titles. Titles always try to encapsulate a movie, person, book, etc. in a few short words. Do you have a title? What would be the few short words that encapsulates who you are? I think you can find out a lot about someone by there title. I also think titles help us remember our purpose and who we are. I have thought about this awhile and for me personally, I like the title "Torchbearer of Jesus Christ." I want to always be a light for Jesus everywhere I go.

So hopefully you are thinking about what your title may be or what you want it to be. I think this leads to deeper questions or more important questions to wrestle with like, "what is your legacy?" or "What do people associate with your name?" You see, everywhere we go, whether we like it or not, every person that knows your name associates character with it. Think for second about a few people you may know. When you think of their name you can probably instantly identify with their character. You can think about what you like about them or not like. In your head you can say they are nice, mean, rude, polite, caring, selfish, and the list could go on and on. I think this is important to realize because we have an opportunity as Christians to be light to a dark world each and everyday and our title is very important. If I want my title (Legacy) to be a torchbearer of Jesus Christ I need to make sure I am living up to that.

I love the story in Acts 17 where Paul and Silas are out preaching the gospel and doing amazing things for the kingdom of God. When they came to Thessalonica Paul preached for three Sabbath days about Jesus Christ's death and resurrection. The Jews became jealous and were trying to have Paul and Silas killed. It is very interesting though that in verse 6 in the English Standard Version they referred to Paul and Silas as "men who have turned the world upside down." How awesome is that, to be know as the people who turned the world upside down for Jesus Christ. I think many times in life we forget our purpose, we constantly try to find purpose in drugs, alcohol, jobs, money, careers, relationships, etc. and we live defeated lives. I know the days that I wake up and remember I am a child of God whom he has set apart to be a "torchbearer for Jesus Christ" I find it easier to walk in the fullness of my purpose.

I pray that you would take time today and reflect, spend some quality and quantity time with God and in His word. When we make God a priority with our lives he becomes a priority in our lives and we can't wait to spend time with him.

Watching the World Wake Up

Recently we were visiting some friends from Church and as we were talking deer hunting naturally came up. Besides all the male macho hunting talk was the idea of watching the world wake up. Sitting in a deer stand early in the morning you hear the calm and quiet of a sleeping world. Slowly you see the sun start to rise, light begins to shine, and living things are alive. It is in moments like this when I feel like I have God all to myself (in reality God finally has all my attention). When the world is sleeping my God is awake and desiring to spend time with me. In times like this my faith is strengthened, my heart is encouraged, and my desire for the things of God grows. The world throws many distractions our way to keep us from God, to make us ineffective and unproductive. I believe the still and quiet of the morning provide us an amazing opportunity to have time with God. As it says in Psalm 5:3,

"In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation."

You don't have to be a deer hunter (I am not one) to enjoy time with God in the morning. Living in a house with 8 people it is very hard to have quiet time so I usually need to get up an hour before everyone else. Sometimes I go on early morning walks with my ipod and listen to worship music. When it is warm outside I may just go sit on the porch and pray. It will look different for everyone. Watching the world wake up is an interesting thing. It tends to calm you down, it helps you start you day off right, and for me it draws me closer to my Savior Jesus Christ.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Do you enjoy the old hymns? Most of them are simple and powerful. Many artists today are adding musically to the hymns but keeping the timeless words and truths. My favorite hymn of all time is"Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus." Every Sunday growing up we ended almost every service singing "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus." This could be one of the simplest songs but has so much truth and meaning. Think about the words for a second....

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace."

We just got home at 4:30 this morning from taking a group of young men to serve in Chicago. We finished up our time in Chicago spending time with some homeless guys that live underneath the streets in Chicago. We were planning on giving them socks because that is what their biggest need is. Once we arrived the homeless ended up with coats, blankets, and some sleeping bags. Our plan was not to give away the coats, blankets, and sleeping bags, in fact some of them were quite expensive. Many of the guys saw the things of earth grow strangely dim through this trip. The tight grip that was held onto stuff started to loosen. Turning your eyes upon Jesus is a daily challenge. Every morning I have to get on my knees and ask God to help me focus on him.

My prayer for you today is that you will turn your eyes upon Jesus because when you do the things of the world truly grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.

I AM

This past weekend we were blessed to see God work in the lives of over 75 high school students. Our theme for the weekend was I AM. One verse continued to be brought up throughout the weekend and that was Romans 12:1 which says, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." In some versions it reads "reasonable act of service" or "rational service." As I marinate on that it seems simple but makes sense. Jesus Christ has paid for my sin through his death and resurrection at the cross. It would only seem reasonable or rational that I would give him all I have. It's like in movies or in life when someone saves your life or does something for you then you in turn feel like you owe them something. If we truly grasp what Christ has done for us it would only be reasonable to give him our time, money, selfishness, pride, worries, etc. Instead many times we become self focused, self seeking, and our world revolves around ourselves instead of our God. The deeper my relationship with Christ grows the more the focus of my life shifts from me to Him. I am still growing and will continue to do so but my prayer is that my life would revolve around Him and not me.

A Barbarian Call

I am currently reading the book "Barbarian Way" by Erwin McManus. Often times our expectations of following Jesus is that life will be easy and everything will be smooth sailing. In my experience life becomes more challenging, spiritual warfare becomes more intense, and you separate yourself from the world. In the book McManus talks about how this call to follow Jesus has become caged and domesticated here in America. Here is an excerpt from the book.

"This is the sticky part of the barbarian call. It's not fair or equitable. When you hear the call, when you follow the call, you must recognize that is is a life and death proposition. When you understand what Jesus means when He says that you must follow Him, you finally realize that this is not a cattle call. He is not calling you to the same life that everyone else will live. He's not even calling you to the same path that every follower of Christ will walk. Your life is unique before God, and your path is yours and yours alone. Where God will choose to lead you and how God chooses to use your life cannot be predicted by how God has worked in the lives of others before you."

Have you gotten too comfortable? Do you find yourself constantly comparing your life and hardships with other people's lives? Are you focused on what God wants you to do for him? No matter what the cost?

Jesus says "...If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." - Mark 8:34b

Living a life as one of God's Beloved is not something to take lightly. It is a call to sacrifice, love, and humility. God is constantly teaching and showing me more crosses to carry, areas where I need humility, and sacrifices I need to make. I want to challenge you today to break up routine, escape from complacency, and play offense against an enemy that is constantly trying to make us retreat.

Promises

Do you ever forget about God?

If you're like me you can have a tendency to get caught up with the details of life and we tend to forget that God is in control and running the whole picture. So in the midst of our life if we tend to lose sight of God we will then often lose sight of God's promises.

Living in a house with 5 young men is sometimes challenging, encouraging, and entertaining. We get into many talks and recently it seems they guys have been really struggling with losing sight of God's truths and his promises. So this past week I decided we were going to do a project. They each had 5 days to search the scriptures and come up with promises that spoke to them. This morning we all got together and shared those promises. Here are a few that I would like to share with you.

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6

"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:28-31

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" Joshua 1:9

"And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us." 1 John 5:14

"for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." 2 Timothy 1:7

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1

These are just a few of what we discussed this morning. If you have a moment I would also encourage you to read Revelation 21. It is an amazing picture of what God promises us.